New Delhi: For Rajat Patidar, the feeling is ‘same, same but different’. Only five months ago, he had led Madhya Pradesh against Shreyas Iyer’s Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final.
Now they come face to face again for the IPL 2025 final and Patidar couldn’t help but draw parallels even though he would want to change the outcome from the last time they met in the SMAT final.
On December 15, 2024, Patidar cracked a 40-ball 81 with the help of six boundaries and six sixes yet ended up on the losing side as Iyer’s Mumbai reached their 175-run target in 17.5 overs.
Now both have again helmed their IPL teams to the final of its 2025 edition. Patidar was picked as RCB’s skipper before the start of the campaign and has justified the faith by taking them to their fourth overall final appearance.
Iyer is also leading Punjab Kings for the first time after his big-bucks signing at the mega auction but he is the only cricketer to have led three different teams to IPL finals, guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to the title last year.
From domestic cricket, they have been familiar opponents but in the grander stage of IPL, a lot more is at stake, which Patidar acknowledges while speaking on the eve of the match.
“I told Shreyas earlier, that it feels the same. The captains are the same, the stage is the final, but the only difference is, it was Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, this is the IPL,” he said.
Job half done
RCB had crashed PBKS in Qualifier 1 at their home in Mullanpur. But since the setting of the final is in Ahmedabad, things would be different, insisted Iyer.
“I would just like to say that we are on a different wicket right now. Definitely they have been bowling very well throughout. It’s important to adapt as quickly as possible and see to it that you are up for the challenge. And take the bull by the horns,” he said.
“You can’t say this is how we will play because the situation can be anything and we have to play according to the situation. It’s not like we are going with a plan and then we don’t pivot if things go up or down.
“Our players are youngsters with fearless nature, but they have gained experience and they have adapted. So, we can’t go with a straight plan. We have to go there and see how we are playing the wicket.”
Rajat Patidar’s RCB take on Shreyas Iyer’s PBKS in the final of IPL 2025 in Ahmedabad. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
